A Song Of Painting: To General Cao Ba Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGH IJKLKEI MNOOPKQRNRSTISUV WVXYZRA2B2C2D2VE2F2G 2H2I2J2K2ZL2M2N2O2D P2Q2H2VR2S2T2V DYU2PV2RW2I J2X2Y2Z2PIVF2You General Cao Ba | A |
descendant of Cao Cao | B |
now live as a peasant | C |
a cold door commoner | D |
Your ancestor's heroic age | E |
carved out kingdoms of old | F |
and its cultural brilliance its style | G |
still survive in your work | H |
- | |
To learn calligraphy | I |
you first studied Lady Wei | J |
your only regret was not surpassing | K |
the great Wang Xizhi | L |
You said 'Caught up in my painting | K |
I give no thought to old age | E |
riches and rank are to me | I |
no more than clouds floating by ' | - |
Often summoned to court | M |
during the Kaiyuan period | N |
frequently you ascended the dais | O |
to receive the Emperor's praise | O |
In the Gallery of Famous Men | P |
the noble faces were fading | K |
going to work with your brush | Q |
you brought back their freshness | R |
On the ministers' heads you repainted | N |
their hats of office | R |
at the waists of the fierce generals | S |
their great feathered arrows | T |
The Duke of Bao and Duke of E | I |
so lifelike their hair bristles | S |
stand grim bold and heroic | U |
as if in the midst of battle | V |
- | |
The late Emperor's imperial horse | W |
Jade Flower Dapple | V |
had been painted by artist after artist | X |
but none could capture his essence | Y |
One day he was led into the courtyard | Z |
below the red steps of the palace | R |
standing there by the palace gates | A2 |
he embodied the wind of the plains | B2 |
At the Emperor's command | C2 |
you stretched white silk to paint on | D2 |
calling up all of your skill | V |
you formed the image in your mind | E2 |
In a flash from the nine fold heavens | F2 |
the true 'dragon' emerged | G2 |
At one stroke the horse paintings of ages | H2 |
were obliterated | I2 |
When the painting was taken up | J2 |
and hung above the throne | K2 |
the horse on the wall and that in the yard | Z |
gazed proudly into each other's face | L2 |
Smiling the Emperor hastened his aide | M2 |
to bring a handsome reward | N2 |
stable boys and grooms stood long faced | O2 |
jealous of His Majesty's favor | D |
- | |
Your pupil Han Gan was long since | P2 |
shown all your techniques | Q2 |
he too can paint horses | H2 |
horses in every stance imaginable | V |
but Gan paints only the outer flesh | R2 |
not the strength that lies beneath | S2 |
his brush would dampen the spirit | T2 |
of legendary Hualiu | V |
- | |
The General is a superb painter | D |
because he captures the essence | Y |
In the past you often rendered | U2 |
likenesses of distinguished men | P |
in the present troubled times | V2 |
uprooted and homeless | R |
you are reduced to painting portraits | W2 |
of humble passersby | I |
- | |
So desperate are your straits you put up | J2 |
with the snubs of commoners | X2 |
never in the world | Y2 |
has anyone been as poor as you | Z2 |
But look at the lives of famous men | P |
throughout history | I |
they too were forced to deal | V |
with endless frustrations | F2 |
Du Fu
(1)
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